This invention relates, generally, to carbonated beverage delivery systems and, more particularly, to an automatic self-cleaning, two tank supply system for the beverage syrup.
As is well known in the art, a typical carbonated beverage system includes carbon dioxide, water and syrup stored in separate containers. These components are mixed together in the appropriate amounts to create the desired carbonated beverage. Such beverage systems are typically found in fast food restaurants and other similar establishments where carbonated beverages are sold in large quantities.
One such beverage system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,921 issued to Neeser. This system includes two syrup storage tanks, means for filling the tanks and a sanitizing unit for cleaning the tanks and the means for filing the tanks. By using two storage tanks, syrup can be dispensed from one tank while the other tank is being cleaned and refilled such that the supply of syrup to the beverage dispenser is not interrupted.
While such a system provides for the continuous delivery of syrup, it requires the change over between the full tank and the empty tank to be accomplished manually. The manual change over is inefficient and unreliable as the syrup may unexpectedly run out before the change over occurs or the change over may be performed too soon thereby wasting the unused syrup.
Another type of syrup delivery system is the, so called, bag-in-box arrangement in which the rigid syrup storage tanks are replaced by plastic bags containing the syrup supported in cardboard boxes. The bags are connected to a vacuum selector valve that automatically changes over between the bags when the bags empty. The selector valve operates to change over between bags when it senses that a vacuum has been created by the empty bag. The selector valve is connected to a syrup pump, which is the driving force on the syrup.
While the bag-in-box system provides automatic change over, the delivery, storage and replacement of the bags and boxes is time consuming and inefficient. Moreover, because the bags and boxes are not reusable, their disposal creates environmental problems.
Thus a syrup delivery system that offers the convenience and ease of use of the permanent storage tanks and the automatic change over capability of the bag-in-box systems is desired.